King James Bible Dictionary

BANK, noun [Bank and bench are radically the same word. The sense is, that which is set, laid or extended. Applied to a mass of earth, it is a collection, that which is thrown or laid together.]

1. A mound, pile or ridge of earth, raised above the surrounding plain, either as a defense or for other purposes. 2 Samuel 20:15.

2. Any steep acclivity, whether rising from a river, a lake, or the sea, or forming the side of a ravine, or the steep side of a hillock on a plain. When we speak of the earth in general adjoining a lake or the sea, we use the word shore; but a particular steep acclivity on the side of a lake, river or the sea, is called a bank

3. A bench, or a bench of rowers, in a galley; so called from their seat.

Placed on their banks, the lusty Trojans sweep.

4. By analogy, a collection or stock of money, deposited, by a number of persons, for a particular use; that is, an aggregate of particulars, or a fund; as, to establish a bank that is a joint fund.

5. The place where a collection of money is deposited; a common repository of the money of individuals or of companies; also a house used for a bank

6. A company of persons concerned in a bank whether a private association, or an incorporated company; the stockholders of a bank or their representatives, the directors, acting in their corporate capacity.

7. An elevation, or rising ground, in the sea; called also flats, shoals, shelves or shallows. These may rise to the surface of the water or near to it; but the word bank signifies also elevated ground at the bottom of the sea, when many fathoms below the surface, as the banks of Newfoundland.

BANK, verb transitive To raise a mound or dyke; to inclose, defend or fortify with a bank; as, to bank a house.

2. To pass by the banks of.

As I have bank'd their towns. [Not in use.]

3. To lay up or deposit money in a bank (Little used.]

BANK'ABLE, adjective Receivable at a bank, as bills; or discountable, as notes. [Of recent origin.]

BANK-BILL

BANK-NOTE, noun A promissory note, issued by a banking company, signed by their President and countersigned by the Cashier, payable to the bearer in gold or silver at the bank, on demand. If payable to order, the note is called a post-note.

BANK'ED, participle passive Raised in a ridge or mound of earth; inclosed, or fortified with a bank.

BANK'ER, noun One who keeps a bank; one who trafficks in money, receives and remits money, negotiates bills of exchange, etc.

2. A vessel employed in the codfishery on the banks of Newfoundland.

BANK'ING, participle present tense Raising a mound or bank; inclosing with a bank. When we speak of restraining water, we usually call it banking; when we speak of defending the land, we call it imbanking.

BANK'ING, noun The business or employment of a banker; the business of establishing a common fund for lending money, discounting notes, issuing bills, receiving deposits, collecting the money on notes deposited, negotiating bills of exchange, etc.

BANK'RUPT, noun [Eng.rout, defeat. This

may signify bench-broken, or bank-broken; most probably the latter, referring to the fund or stock. The last syllable is the Latin ruptus contracted; Norm.roupt, rous, broken.]

1. A trader who secretes himself, or does certain other acts tending to defraud his creditors.

2. In a less technical sense, a trader who fails or becomes unable to pay his just debts; an insolvent trader. In strictness, no person but a trader can be a bankrupt Bankruptcy is applied to merchants and traders; insolvency, to other persons.

BANK'RUPT, adjective Having committed acts of bankruptcy; unable to pay just debts; insolvent.

BANK'RUPT, verb transitive To break one in trade; to make insolvent.

BANK'RUPTCY, noun The state of being a bankrupt, or insolvent; inability to pay all debts.

2. The act of becoming a bankrupt; the act of rendering one's self a bankrupt, as by absconding, or otherwise; failure in trade.

BANK'RUPTED, participle passive Rendered insolvent.

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BANK'RUPTING, participle present tense Breaking in trade; rendering insolvent.

BANK'RUPT-LAW, noun A law, which, upon a bankrupt's surrendering all his property to commissioners for the benefit of his creditors, discharges him from the payment of his debts, and all liability to arrest or suit for the same, and secures his future acquired property from a liability to the payment of his past debts.

BANKRUPT-SYSTEM, noun A system of laws and legal proceedings in regard to bankrupts and their property.

BANK-STOCK, noun A share or shares in the capital stock of a bank.